National Partners

Year-Long Service and Fellowship Programs

City Yearwas founded in 1988 on the belief that young people can change the world. City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service aimed at keeping students in school and on track to graduation. At City Year’s 28 urban locations across the U.S. and two international affiliates, teams of trained young people called AmeriCorps members serve full-time in schools during the academic year as tutors, mentors and role models. By focusing on attendance, behavior and course performance, which identify students who are at risk of not graduating on time, AmeriCorps members are positioned to help students and schools succeed.

The Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to make issues of domestic and international hunger a priority to policymakers in the U.S. government, and to raise a new generation of leaders to fight against hunger and poverty. Our mission is to train and inspire leaders who work to end hunger, and to advocate public policies that create a food secure world.

We strive to be a leader in the movement to ensure access to food as a basic human right for all people. We create and nurture a community of innovative and inspiring leaders who act as change agents, bridging the gap between grassroots efforts and national and international public policy to provide access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.

We accomplish this mission through our advocacy, policy and coalition work, and our two leadership development programs:

Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program which trains, inspires, and sustains leaders. Fellows gain field experience fighting hunger and poverty through placements in community based organizations across the country, and policy experience through placements in Washington, D.C. The program bridges community-based efforts and national public policy, and fellows develop as effective leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty.

LelandInternational Hunger Fellows Program which trains emerging leaders in the fight to end hunger worldwide. The Leland Program shares with emerging leaders our vision of a world free from hunger and invests in these leaders to develop the tools they need to work toward this goal throughout their lives.

GRID Alternatives was founded with the vision that free, clean electricity from the sun should be available to everyone. The GRID Alternatives model makes solar PV technology practical and accessible for low-income communities that need the savings and jobs the most, yet have the least access. By taking a broader approach to solar as not just an environmental good but also a real-world solution to a real-world economic problem in these communities, GRID Alternatives is helping to set the stage for large-scale solar adoption nationwide. The national SolarCorps Fellowship Program is an opportunity for highly motivated and enthusiastic people to join GRID Alternatives for a one-year, paid term of service to their community. SolarCorps Fellows gain valuable experience in the solar and non-profit industries to help launch their renewable energy careers, while making significant contributions to GRID and the low-income communities we serve. The Corporation for National and Community Service has provided partial funding for the program through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA since 2006.

Are you trying to figure out what’s next after college? Want to do some good in the world but not sure exactly how or where? Maybe you should consider this new opportunity for young adults to gain a variety of professional skills while living and discerning in an intentional Christian community. First Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon, and Menucha Retreat & Conference Center (located just 30 minutes from Portland in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area) supports an intentional faith community called the Presbyterian Community of Practice (although you only have to be Christian, not necessarily Presbyterian, to apply). For a year, four young adults (ages 21-29) will live at Menucha and will serve ministries in both rural and urban settings. Specific ministries and work will depend upon the gifts, skills and interests of participants. They will be designed by participants in consultation with staff of Menucha and First Presbyterian Church. Each participant receives room & board at Menucha, and a monthly stipend. If you are Presbyterian, you qualify for student loan repayment assistance from the PC(USA)’s Season of Service program.

Quaker Voluntary Service is an 11-month experiment, living at the intersection of transformational spirituality and activism. Young adults work full-time in professional positions at community based organizations addressing a wide range of issues, while living in a cooperative house and worshiping with, and being mentored by, local Quakers. Fellows receive housing, transportation, food, support for health and wellness (including access to health insurance if needed), and a small stipend, while engaging in regular self-led workshops and retreats that allow for continuing education in social justice, faith, and community building topics.

The SAGA Fellowsprogram is a 10-month, full-time, paid service opportunity in an underserved Chicago or New York City public school. A SAGA Fellow serves as part tutor and part mentor to the same 14 students every day in groups of 1 Fellow: 2 students. SAGA Fellows build their students' skills and motivate them all year long to achieve extraordinary results; for instance, a recent study found that SAGA students in Chicago gained more than 2.5 years of growth in math in just one year of tutoring. Consider becoming a SAGA Fellow if you are interested in urban education or social justice work and want a unique opportunity to directly address the needs of students in underserved schools. The SAGA Fellowship is also a rewarding opportunity for graduating seniors who want to take a gap year before graduate, law, or medical school. No matter your background or future goals, this one year of service will have a lifetime of impact on your students and on you.

WorldTeachoffers the opportunity to teach in communities around the globe. We seek motivated and inquisitive global citizens who yearn to do more than simply tour a different country; those who look to immerse themselves within a culture and want to live purposeful lives. Our participants have unparalleled opportunity for personal and professional growth while bridging world cultures via year long and summer programs. We seek those who are dedicated to engaging students in purposeful learning regardless of prior teaching experience. Our comprehensive training during orientation, and teaching support during service provide a platform for participant teachers to have a successful WorldTeach experience. Our alum return from the field with sophisticated and nuanced understanding of international issues and a firmer membership in the broader international community.

The Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for young people, ages 19-30, in over 20 sites around the world and in the United States. Volunteers accompany local agencies working to address root causes of poverty and reconciliation in systems of oppression while exploring the meaning and motivation of their faith. YAVs serve during the academic year, August to July. Program benefits include a regular stipend, housing, transportation assistance and student-loan assistance throughout the duration of the service year.